A lawmaker of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) declared on Sunday that he will bolt from the party following a dispute with its leader over his disparaging remarks toward the latest inter-Korean summit.

"I'm going to leave the Liberty Korea Party today," Rep. Kang Ghil-boo said on Facebook. "I'm sorry for causing troubles to the people no matter what the reason might be."

"A nation can develop only when there is balance between the ruling and opposition parties. I hope the LKP will become a party beloved by the people."
Kang has recently been in dispute with the party's leader Hong Joon-pyo over the latter's disparaging remarks toward the historic summit.

On April 27, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President met in the border village of Panmunjom and agreed to pursue their shared goals, including a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War.

But Hong has called the summit declaration for cross-border cooperation and peace an "abnormal, disguised peace show," claiming it was the result of Seoul's sympathy for Pyongyang's "absurd" arguments.

His remarks have not only infuriated the ruling party but also unnerved some party colleagues who fear that his rhetoric could negatively affect their preparations for the June local elections.

The four-term legislator has since demanded Hong's immediate resignation, saying his remarks "are devoid of decorum" and are making the party lose balance. (Yonhap News)